Thanks, abatt. How nice: Viengsay Valdes in something other than the Don Q pdd! I'm wondering if her partner, Osiel Gouneo, is the same dancer who used to go by the name "Osiel Gounod" during the last big North American tour of the Cuban ballet? I loved Gounod but don't know if it's the same as "Gouneo."

It’s his feeling for the ballerina’s balance. He knows exactly where you will feel good and look good too. That’s not a technical skill you can learn. Either you have it or you don’t. Of course, he’s also very strong, so that all the lifts are good. But he has something special for your balance. It’s really a rare talent and Manuel LeGris at the Paris Opera also has it a little. And when you dance with Marcelo, it’s a pleasure because you don’t have to tell him: “a little bit more in front . . . a little bit more in the back.” He just feels it and you’re where you want to be and need to be, so it’s all very easy.

How does the MacMillan version of the balcony pas de deux relate to Nureyev’s?

The steps are different. But I think it will be easier because the Nureyev version is really, really hard. Nureyev's version of any role is always very hard and whenever I do a ballet I know from a Nureyev production in another version, it’s always easier. (Laughing). But Juliet is also just a dream role for me. She’s an incredible character and I find so many feelings to express in this story.

Last night's performances were a mixed bag. On the sublime side was Nina's performance of a portion of Fokine's Dying Swan. That alone was, worth the price of admission. I have not seen anyone attempt the boneless looking ripple of swan arms since she quit ABT. She did it last night, and it was pretty amazing. Her hands, the way she moved her head, it was breathtaking. Lil Buck isn't my cup of tea.

Also on the sublime side was Lunkina's soulful, stirring interpretation of a solo from La Bayadere. I'm not sure I've ever had the pleasure of seeing her, but I sure hope to see her again. Gorgeous lines, rock solid control, pliant back. Maybe if she's afraid to go back to the Bolshoi, ABT could hire her?

I enjoyed Gilbert and Gomes in R&J balcony pdd, although it was tough to create the right atmosphere with such a short excerpt and a balcony that looked like it was dug up from the janitor's closet.

Emory LeCrones's ballet, performed exquisitely by Reichlin and Angle, was a revelation of beauty and musicality.

On the not-so-sublime side was Clifton Brown's performance. The choreography was tedious. He was dressed as a business man, and as Brubeck's Take 5 plays, he loosens up from his constricted business suit, eventually placing hs ite around his head. Juvenile.

I also did not care much for Gomes' choreography, in which he has Chase Finlay do a few jumps and turns to a horrible piece of music, and eventually Chase is using the ballet barre as something to writhe around. A waste of Chase's talent.

The gimmick in Double Bounce was a flexible tutu that could easily bend in any direction. The novelty wore off pretty fast to reveal the pedestrian chroreography.

I guess I'm not a Wayne McGregor fan. Borderlands was well performed, but lacked substance. It was one of these ballets where the woman's extreme flexibilty seems to be the entire point of the work.

Misa Kuranga was spinning like a top in the Corsaire p d trois. Herman was excellent as Conrad, with high jumps and great speed. I was not terribly impressed with Virelles. Having seen numerous Ali's at ABT over the years, he paled by comparison.

I can't tell you the names of the kids who won the scholarships. They were all very impressive, except that the girl who performed the Giselle excerpt seemed quite nervous and made some mistakes.

Spotted at the gala: Jared Matthews, Jose Manuel Carreno, Daniil Simkin, Ana Sophia Scheller and Joe Phillips, Irina and Max. Irina was, as usual, dressed to the nines. She was wearing a bronze-brownish sequin mini dress with a deep v at the back, a ruffled white shawl and very high bronze/brown stilleto heels. Hair pulled back in a neat pony tail. She looked like a runway model.

I also did not care much for Gomes' choreography, in which he has Chase Finlay do a few jumps and turns to a horrible piece of music, and eventually Chase is using the ballet barre as something to writhe around, over and under. A waste of Chase's talent.

I adore Gomes' dancing so much that I've been hoping he would show promise as a choreographer for another phase of his career as he ages. I've never seen any of it in person, but a fair amount is available on YouTube -- mainly solos (for Copeland, for himself), duets, and a group number for the men in Kings of the Dance. I don't get any of it. It seems to be a lot of twitching and writhing alternating with generic classical steps. What am I missing? Is there potential there?

Nina came out and did about one minute of the traditional Fokine choreography, where the Swan initially enters (hence, the swan arm movements). She exited, and Lil Buck did about one minute of his hip hop version of Dying Swan. Then they both return to the stage and do the final dying moments together on stage, although Buck never partners Nina. They dance indenpendently of one another, with Nina doing the traditional Fokine choreography, while Lil Buck simultaneouly interprets it in his own hip hop fashion. It was bizarre.

As to your point about Gomes, California, yes the hand and arm twitching was fully on display last night in Gomes' work for Chase Finlay.

Forgot to add that David Hallberg gave a curtain speech in an award given to a patron of YAGP.

Nina came out and did about one minute of the choreography, where the Swan initially enters (hence, the swan arm movements). She exited, and Lil Buck did about one minute of his hip hop version of Dying Swan. Then they both return to the stage and do the final dying moments together on stage, although Buck never partners Nina. They dance indenpendently of one another, with Nina doing the traditional Fokine choreography, while Lil Buck simultaneouly interprets it in his own hip hop fashion. It was bizarre.

How strange...I saw Lil Buck do the complete Dying Swan himself at the Vail Festival in 2011. It's now on YouTube:

Thanks for the Lil Buck clip. I had never seen or heard of him before. . What you see in the clip is pretty much what he did alongside of Nina, except that he was wearing an all white outfit instead of blue jeans and a sweatshirt.

This is the Paganini that Gomes choreographed for himself. A theme in several of his works seems to be the dancer in rehearsal -- putting on shoes, working at the barre, warming up -- it reminds me a little of the atmosphere of Dances at a Gathering, with dancers seeming to be in a rehearsal hall:

The solo he made for Copeland also has this "behind-the-scenes" rehearsal feel to it: